Bangladesh reaffirms commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, peaceful use

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear science, particularly in energy, food safety, medicine, and health sectors.

He said this during his meeting with Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Vienna on Monday.

Foreign Minister Hasan also reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to nuclear disarmament and the safety and security of nuclear materials.

He recalled that Bangladesh became a member of the IAEA in 1972 which was one of the earliest memberships of Bangladesh in any international organization.

The foreign minister thanked the IAEA for providing necessary support and cooperation for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project.

He assured the director general that Bangladesh will maintain the highest level of transparency, safety, and security of its nuclear power plants.

Referring to the national energy vision, he mentioned that Bangladesh has contemplated a fair share of nuclear energy in its future energy mix since it is a green and clean source of energy.

Mentioning the unmatched success of Bangladesh in becoming self-sufficient in staple food production as well as successes in the pharmaceuticals and health services sectors, Hasan thanked the IAEA for its technical support to Bangladesh in nuclear agriculture, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy fields.

The foreign minister appreciated the director general’s initiatives like Atoms4Food and Atoms4NetZero, and assured him of continued support from Bangladesh for these noble initiatives.

The director general reaffirmed the agency’s sustained support to Bangladesh on human-centric development issues leveraging nuclear science and applications.

He expressed particular interest in working together with Bangladesh under the "Atom for Food" initiative.

The director general of the IAEA congratulated Bangladesh for setting up nuclear power plants, which has added an altogether different dimension to Bangladesh’s engagement with the IAEA.

He highlighted the IAEA’s continued support for training and capacity building on nuclear safety and safeguard issues.

Hasan invited him to visit Bangladesh during the commissioning of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project.